A chance encounter with big shot director Cecil B. DeMille gave photographer William Mortensen his first job in Hollywood. It was the kind of lucky break that would look hokey as a plot device in a B-movie. Mortensen was working as a gardener but was soon on the set of DeMille’s King of Kings (1927), then designing voodoo masks for Lon Chaney’s movie West of Zanzibar, and then ending-up taking publicity shots and portraits of stars like Marlene Dietrich, Rudolph Valentino, and the original “It girl” Clara Bow.

Before Hollywood, Mortensen had spent his time traveling around Europe in the early 1920s soaking up all that fancy art and culture. He got hep to all the Old Masters like Goya and Rembrandt. This together with his experience of working on films made Mortensen approach photography in a wholly original way.

It was a similar kind of thing that had once happened to writer James Joyce, who had opened the first cinema in Dublin in 1908. Joyce realized traditional story-telling could not compete with movies. Why write a page describing the looks of some lantern-jawed hero when a movie could transmit such information in an instant? Movies taught Joyce to rethink literature—and so he wrote Ulysses.

Mortensen made photographs that mixed painting, drawing, theater, and movies. He manipulated the image to create something more than just a straight photographic representation. His approach was anathema to the more traditionalist photographers like Ansell Adams, who called Mortensen the “anti-Christ” for what he did to photography.

Mortensen produced beautiful, strange, often dark and Gothic, sometimes brutal, though usually erotically charged pictures. While other photographers sought realism, Mortensen used props and gowns and his own vivid imagination to enhance each picture. He went on to have some success but fell out of step with the rise of photojournalism that came out of the Second World War and was (sadly) largely forgotten by the time of his death in 1965. In more recent years, Mortensen has been rightly praised for his photographic genius. What I am intrigued by in Mortensen’s work, is his design and use of masks (including one of “scream queen” Fay Wray) in his photographic work—from which a small selection of which can be seen below.

From the same folks who brought you the hyper-realistic masks of Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un comes their newest and perhaps creepiest creation: a silicone mask of a little girl. The mask is by Landon Meier of Hyperflesh. I really don’t know what else to say except it gives me a bad case of the heebie-jeebies. It’s something in the eyes or seeing a child’s head on an adult body. I don’t know what is that bothers me so much. But I don’t like it. Yuck!

Hyperflesh is selling their freaky-as-fuck silicone masks of Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un on eBay. These are jaw-droppingly realistic. I cannot get over the detail. They even captured Trump’s preposterously awful combover (that can’t have been easy) and horrible old man skin down perfectly. You can click on each image to get a closer look.

These masks made their debut at Monsterpalooza 2017 and appeared in a viral video viewed by over 60 million people on Facebook.

Anyway, the masks can now be yours! Donald Trump‘s current bid is $4,200. Vladimir Putin is at $2,250 and Kim Jong-un is at $3,050. Obviously these prices will change as more people bid on ‘em.

Based in Glenview, Illinois mask maker Igor Velgach is the artist behind the all-to-realistic silicone masks you are about to see in this post. I highly advise you have a good pallet cleanser—such as a video featuring kittens or puppies frolicking in a tub full of flowers nearby because you’re going to need it.

According to Velgach, all of his masks are carefully constructed starting with a prototype made of plasticine which eventually becomes in many cases, a sinister looking silicone creation that is so startlingly realistic it is nearly impossible to tell that you are looking at a faux face. The talented artist can make a mask based on any request—though Velgach notes that to do so requires that a mold is taken of your head in order to guarantee that it fits correctly. This kind of expert craftsmanship does not come cheap and Velgach’s masks, which he sells over at his Etsy shop The Masker, run from $499 to $1399 a pop. I’ve included photos of Velgach’s masks below which include two terrifying silicone masks in the image of our 45th president that look even more lifelike than the real thing. Yikes.

Reading The Story of My Life by Giacomo Casanova set me off on a browse of the beautiful masks famously worn during the Carnival of Venice. These masks were originally used to celebrate the victory of the Most Serene Republic of Venice against Ulrich II of Aquileia and his failed attempt to bring the city under German rule circa 1162. By the time Casanova was living in the city in the middle of the 18th century, citizens were allowed to wear masks for up to six months which enabled the wearer to indulge in an excess of food, wine and partying, and to mix freely with those of other classes. The masks also provided anonymity for those seeking to indulge in a bit of sexual shenanigans. Such hedonistic pleasures led Venice to gain its reputation as a strict yet deeply licentious city.

But back to Casanova who was much more than just a bed-hopping sex beast. He was a soldier, a musician, a dabbler in the dark arts, a novelist, a spy and eventually a librarian to Count Joseph Karl von Waldstein at his castle in Bohemia. Casanova also spent time in the Piombi prison for “public outrages against the holy religion.” Quite incredibly, he escaped from this jail situated in the upper floors of the Doge’s palace by climbing through the roof in 1756. He then fled to Paris where he set up a lottery to raise money for the French army. Casanova was a rather ingenious man and I think it fair to say throughout his life he quite literally donned various “masks” like an actor as he tried out the different roles he played. The real Casanova only became apparent when he sat down to write his memoirs when working as a librarian in Dux.

These gorgeous handmade paper mache masks are inspired by many of the traditional designs worn in Venice during Casanova’s era. They are for sale and though expensive, are utterly beautiful.

Boing Boing hipped me to this really inexpensive Cthulhu-style ski mask that’s selling herefor only $4.23. Depending on the color you choose, the price does change slightly. I’m blogging about the grey one and that’s currently at $4.23. Now I can’t vouch for the quality of these masks. I do not own one. However, there are over 100 customer reviews giving the masks between four and five stars. Just 4% of the reviews have it at one star.

I thought I’d throw this one out there since it’s getting cold out, it’s cheap and it could make for a great (cheap!) Christmas gift.

In his house at R’lyeh, dead Cthulhu waits dreaming of a ski mask like this one.

I’m totally digging these retro Halloween masks developed by artist Doug P’gosh for Retro-a-go-go! They’re just fantastic. From what I understand the masks are more for wall art or home décor because they’re HUGE! Like 2 feet tall!

Best part is, they’re created in the same spirit and material used for the much-loved vintage kid’s masks of yesteryear. Even the collector’s edition box, with the clear top, is an homage to the original window boxes. Whether you get your freak on by adding them to your boring walls or keep them mint in box and proudly displayed, there is nothing else like them anywhere! The word unusual doesn’t come close to their creeptastic awesomeness. Collect them all!

As a child of the 1970s I remember wearing a Wonder Woman costume with a mask like this. I’d like to see some giant superhero masks, too.

To say that I’m truly blown away by these handmade animal masks and animal costumes is still an understatement. These are holy smokes-level awesome! Since Halloween is around the corner, I thought I’d share these handmade beauties as a possible costume option or just simply as work of art you’d like to own.

They’re by Deviant artist Crystumes and boy is there a huge gallery to check out! Each animal mask is lovingly crafted with impeccable detail. They speak for themselves, don’t they? I’m particularly smitten with the bird masks.

From what I can tell Crystumes does take commissions according to his or her Deviant Art page. You can contact Crystumes here.

These animal head masks that move their mouths as you speak are described as “realistic” or “life-like” on a few websites. I wouldn’t say that they’re very realistic-looking at all, maybe veering more towards the WTF? side, in my opinion. I can’t quite place my finger as to why I find them exactly so unsettling. Maybe it’s because they look like freakin’ roadkill that’s come to life?! I’m imagining zombie roadkill robbing a bank or some bizzare-ass party where everyone is sporting one of these but otherwise naked. Very Island of Dr. Moreau, too (the one with Marlon Brando, natch).

The flexible strap inside the mask keeps it secure while the soft cushion rests against your chin, so the animal’s mouth moves when you talk. This lets you naturally create a very unnatural effect. The life-like faux fur provides the detail needed to complete the freaky facade.

You have a choice of three styles: pug dog, wolf, and fox. Each one sells for $59.99 over at Vat19. This is next level furrydom.

The video shows the masks in action and it’s kind of corny. I can easily think of far more sinister scenarios for these masks.

I recently stumbled on these fantastic looking leather “Cthulhu” masks while hard at “work” and man, they really are something to behold.

Although the various masks in this post are not specifically heralded as being the latest in far out “fetish” attire, I’d hedge a bet that a fair number of them have been purchased for just that very purpose. Created by Wasteland Artisan in Montreal, Canada, the description for these handmade, steampunk-style masks does note that you should not get your Cthulhu mask wet, but that “a little sweat” is okay (although of course may cause you to stink with the “stench as of a thousand opened graves.”) As far as I can tell, there are unsurprisingly no Cthulhu masks available at the moment (so I have no idea how much they cost), but Wasteland Artisan does do custom orders so I’m guessing if you just gotta have one of these things, it’s at least an option. I also found a “Hello Kitty” version of a Cthulhu mask that you can have custom made if that’s the way you like to play, because I don’t judge and neither should you.

Is “fhtagn victim” a pun?

More images of these cosmic and creepy Cthulhu masks follow after the jump…

Remember that scary as hell Peter Dinklage mask? Or those weird giant crying baby masks that made the rounds on the Internet a few years back? Well, the guy behind them, Landon Meier, who owns the aptly-named Hyperflesh has created these new “beauties” of Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. I have no words.

As far as I can tell, these are only one-offs and not available to purchase. If you really gotta have one, you can contact Meier at his Hyperflesh website.

SikRik Masks recently released a new full-head latex mask of the demon from the cover of Venom’sBlack Metal LP.

Black Metal was named the “68th best British album of all time” by Kerrang! readers, but, more importantly, was one of the primary influences on what was to become the infamous Norwegian Black Metal music scene. For me personally, when I was a young punk purist, Venom were one of the few metal bands that appealed to my “punk rock sensibilities”—probably because they were a bit more sloppy than virtuosic. And I’ve always been a sucker for fun cartoonish satanism. Anyway, Black Metal remains one of my favorite metal records to this day, and the latex representation of it’s cover done by SikRik is dead-on.

This HUGE needle-felted cat head was made out of wool by Housetu Sato and his students at the Japan School of Wool Art. It’s not exactly “hot off the presses,” but the more I saw it making the rounds on the Internet… the creepier it got for me. Every time I encountered it, I was even more disturbed. To add insult to injury, the cat is cross-eyed.

We try to avoid cat-related posts here on Dangerous Minds as the blogosphere is saturated with ‘em. But this one was just too… er, special to pass up!

Sadly (thankfully?) there are currently no plans to manufacture the cat head. I’m positive that will change the more these images get passed around.

The cat head will be on display at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum from April 18-23.

It’s probably a bit too early to start thinking about Halloween (or, you know, you could just wear one to work for “casual freaky Friday”) but these handmade resin skull masks by Etsy shop aishavoya are pretty damned incredible.

Each mask is hand painted, so each paint job slightly varies. Masks are lined in fabric and the straps are leather but can be switched with a synthetic leather upon request.

The masks are hand-sculpted, supposedly lightweight, somewhat flexible and apparently can fit “a wide range of face shapes and sizes.”